Smooth Collie
The short-coated Collie: same Scottish herding origins, same sensitive and trainable character, far less brushing. Still a double coat, so still a heavy seasonal shedder.
- Weight
- 20–34 kg
- Lifespan
- 12–14 years
Weight and lifespan are reference ranges from the breed guide. They vary by sex, lineage and individual dog and do not predict your dog’s ideal weight or lifespan. Read the care descriptions alongside the individual dog’s history.
Background and characteristics
The Smooth Collie shares its ancestry, temperament and health profile with the Rough Collie and differs mainly in coat. Registries disagree on how to file that difference. The FCI and the UK Kennel Club register Rough and Smooth as separate breeds, while the AKC treats them as two varieties of one breed.
For an owner, the practical differences are grooming time and how conspicuous the shed hair is.
Temperament and living together
Temperament is the reason people choose either version. Smooths are attentive, sensitive to tone, and quick to learn from praise-based training. They also carry the herding response to movement, which usually surfaces as barking at joggers, cyclists and passing vehicles.
Address that early, especially in a townhouse or apartment.
Exercise and play
An hour of daily exercise plus mental work suits them. Training sessions, scent games and anything cooperative with a person will do more for a Collie's contentment than distance alone. Many are reserved with strangers while being devoted at home, and they tend to stay close rather than range widely.
Coat and everyday care
Grooming is genuinely easier than the Rough: a weekly brush handles normal maintenance and there is no trimming to pay for. Do not mistake that for a low-shedding dog. The short coat is still double, the seasonal drop is heavy, and short stiff hairs weave into upholstery and clothing in a way long hair does not.
Daily brushing during the two annual coat changes keeps the house manageable.
Health considerations
Health screening is the same as for the Rough, and the MDR1 mutation is the item that matters most. Dogs carrying it can react severely to ivermectin and several other common drugs, so test and record the result where an emergency vet will find it. Collie eye anomaly, progressive retinal atrophy and hip dysplasia are the other standard questions for a breeder.